Crime and Society in England, 1750–1900 (Themes In British Social History)

Synopsis

[This book] explores the developments in policing, the courts and the penal system as England became increasingly industrialised and urbanised. Through a consideration of the difficulty of defining crime, the book presents criminal behaviour as being intrinsically tied to historical context and uses this theory as the basis for its examination of crime within English society during this period. In this fifth edition, [the author] explores the most recent research, including the increased focus on ethnicity, gender and cultural representations of crime, allowing students to gain a broader view of modern English society. Divided thematically, the book’s coverage includes: the varying perceptions of crime across different social groups; crime in the workplace; the concepts of a ‘criminal class’ and ‘professional criminals’; and the developments in the courts, the police and the prosecution of criminals.-- Introduction: crime and the law -- The statistical map -- Class perceptions -- Ethnicity and gender -- Perceptions of place -- Fiddles, perks and pilferage -- The criminal class and perceptions of criminals -- Prosecutors and the courts -- Detection and prevention: the old police and the new -- Punishment and reformation -- Concluding remarks. Clive Emsley. Includes bibliographical references and index.